Mining

Early this year Prof. Robert M. Koerner (Geosynthetic Institute) published the 6th Edition of his seminal textbook Designing With Geosynthetics. As with prior volumes, it comes with helpful test questions after each chapter with answers provided at the end of the book. For this week's meetings at Geosynthetica's headquarters (in Jupiter, Florida) we downloaded the (less than) $3.99 (!!) Kindle volumes of the 6th Edition via Amazon.com to test out an e-reader version. And we're happy to report the the two-volume work flows nicely in its digital version. For geosynthetic engineering that you can take with you, give the e-book a spin. (You can also acquire print copies, of course, in either hard or soft bound versions.) Learn more here.;

Titan Environmental Containment is has announced that it has added Corrugated Steel Pipe (CSP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, and Bolt-A-Plate products to the company's supply arsenal. Learn more about these products and Titan at www.titanenviro.ca. Learn more here.;

rom 20-22 April 1977 the International Conference on the Use of Fabrics in Geotechnics was held in Paris, France. This watershed event included a paper from engineer Dr. J.P. Giroud in which he coined two terms that have become central to the field of geosynthetics: "geotextile" and "geomembrane." The Paris gathering introduced many new users to the fast-developing field of geosynthetics and, perhaps even more importantly, connected many companies, universities, and individual engineers who had already been furthering understanding of the materials—current and needed characteristics, manufacturing potential, applications for adoption, design methodologies, etc.

The Second Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics, GeoAmericas 2012, is set to take place 1–4 May 2012 at the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center in Lima, Peru. While we have looked mostly at the technical program here on Geosynthetica, we want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary support of so many companies by way of sponsorships of various portions of the event and through participation in the commercial exhibition. See who will be there (including 50+ exhibitors).

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published its first issue of IGS News for 2012. Issue 28.1 includes a lead editorial from IGS President Jorge Zornberg on IGS's student and young member initiatives, a call for IGS Council member candidates, reports from key technical committees (Soil Reinforcement, Barrier Systems, Filtration), late 2011 event reports, news of international chapter activities, corporate member news, and much more. Read the issue here (PDF).

Leister Technologies AG, a worldwide leader in plastic welding and hot air equipment, has announced that U.S.-based calibration and repair services for its EXAMO tensiometers is now available through Leister USA in Chicago. Yearly recalibration is normally required for all tensile-testing devices in the geosynthetics and civil engineering industries. The new services through Leister USA will enable North American customers to remain compliant with these requirements, while reducing costs and downtime during tensiometer updates.

NAUE's geosynthetics are on full display in the latest issue of GEONEWS, published by Global Synthetics out of Australia. The April 2012 issue includes stories on the utilization of a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) cap for the closure of a landfill, tunnel works in Brisbane, prefabricated drainage modules, biplanar drainage products in remediation applications, a new information series on GCLs, and more. Read the latest issue here (PDF).

Nordic Waterproofing Group strengthens the position in Nordic Countries by acquiring Nortett AS in Norway. Since the end of the 1970s, Nortett (previously Paus and Paus) has sold and marketed products for roofs, walls and foundations.

The scale and scope of capping oilsands tailings ponds has limited reclamation work in the past. The presence of persistent clay in oilsands tailings has made consolidation of tailings a difficult task and many ponds remain too soft to cap many years after they are full. The tailings pond in this example was a Mature Fine Tailings (MFT) pond. This project profile from Layfield outlines the work done to start the capping of this tailings pond. Learn more here.;

A junior oil and gas exploration company contacted Layfield for a cost effective solution to provide on site water storage for an on going drilling and completion project in North Eastern British Columbia. This project is part of the ongoing efforts to exploit resources in the Deep Basin shale gas region. The oil and gas exploration company required approximately 1,500 m3 (1.5 million liters) of water storage. Read about the solution here. Learn more here.;

The 2013 Geo-Congress from ASCE's Geo-Institute be held 3-7 March 2013 in San Diego, California. The broad theme of the 2013 Geo-Congress has been announced as the "Stability and Performance of Slopes and Embankments," a theme that encompasses all aspects of the geo-profession--and one that certainly utilizes geosynthetics. Learn more about the conference and submit your abstract by 17 April 2012. Learn more here.;

The new Tensar International YouTube page offers several videos with case histories and product demonstrations, showcasing the unique ground stabilisation, asphalt reinforcement and soil reinforcement benefits of Tensar geogrid technology. Learn more.

Effective 30 March 2012, GSE Holding, Inc., a leading global manufacturer and provider of geosynthetic lining products and services, joined the Russell 2000 Index, the most common benchmark for small cap mutual funds. "We believe that this will broaden our market exposure and bring long-term value to our shareholders," said Mark Arnold, GSE President anCEO.

The 6th AMI international conference, Waterproof Membranes 2012, will take place at the Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf, Germany from 11-13 December 2012. On the first evening there will be a welcome reception and registration, followed by a 2-day programme of presentations. A specialist exhibition will run alongside the conference. The construction and civil engineering industry is responding to the drive for green building and greater sustainability. Extra demands are being placed on waterproofing as functions are added to the membrane, such as warming and cooling, energy generation (particularly solar), chemical resistance in landfill, and horticultural resources on roofs and also facades. Read more.

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS), the world's largest producer of corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, announced today the addition of eleven Geogrid reinforcement products—six biaxial and five uniaxial, each available in different strengths and load bearing properties to meet the needs of a specific project. The grids are being produced by Syntec Corporation. Learn more.

Last Friday, HUESKER Synthetic GmbH welcomed guests to the official opening of its new office space. The new structure preserves the existing historical facade of the company's main office while the interior has been modernized. This reflects the company's story well, as HUESKER is celebrating its 150+ years of operation while continuing to innovate and develop new materials to meet the needs of the changing construction, engineering and sustainability landscapes. Wolfgang Huesker, the international company's Manageing Director, was on hand for the opening.

The 6th AMI international conference, Waterproof Membranes 2012, will take place at the Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf, Germany from 11-13 December 2012. On the first evening there will be a welcome reception and registration, followed by a 2-day programme of presentations. A specialist exhibition will run alongside the conference. The construction and civil engineering industry is responding to the drive for green building and greater sustainability. Extra demands are being placed on waterproofing as functions are added to the membrane, such as warming and cooling, energy generation (particularly solar), chemical resistance in landfill, and horticultural resources on roofs and also facades. Read more.

Houston-based international geosynthetics manufacturer GSE Environmental has announced the purchase, by one of its subsidiaries, of certain manufacturing equipment from Poly-America, L.P. and Poly-Flex, Inc., for $7.5 million. "We believe this equipment purchase will contribute toward achieving our growth objectives and remove competitive capacity from our North American market," said Mark Arnold, GSE President and CEO.

On 30 April 2012, ASTM International (ASTM) will host a free online forum to discuss the coordination of standards activity relative to commercial scale hydraulic fracturing. The forum is open to the public. Stakeholders at all levels of commercial hydraulic fracturing applications are encouraged to attend. Registration for the online session is available at www.astm.org/hydraulicfracturing.

Members of the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) recently voted to fill four seats on IAGI's Board of Directors. Candidates were nominated by the industry and those elected will serve on the IAGI Board of Directors during 2012–2013. The IAGI members elected include: John Heap, Colorado Lining International, USA; Max Brady, DDT Liners, Australia; Bill Shehane, Seaman Corporation, USA; and Nicky Araujo, Servicios de Ingenieria Geosintetica, S.A., Costa Rica. Each director will serve for two years. New officers for the IAGI Board of Directors were elected at a recent Board of Directors meeting. Todd Harman was elected to serve as IAGI's President. David McLaury was elected First Vice President and Nicky Araujo was elected Second Vice President. Finally, Chris Eichelberger was elected Treasurer. Brian McKeown will serve the Board as Immediate Past President. All officers will serve two year terms.

The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) has published its first newsletter of 2012. This issue includes a welcome note from new IAGI President Todd Harman, an article on the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) "Renewal Process 2.0," an update to the IAGI Buyer's Guide, industry news, a call for entries for IAGI's awards, and an article from Elizabeth Peggs on the beta testing of Geosindex.com. Read the newsletter here (PDF)

A consortium of innovative Dutch companies, led by Witteveen+Bos and TenCate Geosynthetics, has developed through constructive collaboration the Smart Tailings concept, which aims at managing remnants of pulverized rocks from metal, oil or coal extraction. This waste concerns one of the largest environmental problems in the world. The Smart Tailings concept answers the challenges of large scale rehabilitation assignments with an effective integral remediation design based on enhanced site survey and monitoring techniques. Read more.

The International Association of Dredging Companies presented its Best Paper Award for a Young Author at the PIANC COPEDEC held at the IIT Madras, Chennai, India, on 24 February 2012, to Darshana T. Dassanayake for his paper, "Important Engineering Properties of Geotextile Sand Containers and their Effect on the Hydraulic Stability of GSC Structures." Dassanayake's work has been based on the view that there are not enough guidelines to support this fast-growing application, and his work is an attempt to better define the properties that will make product and system selection stronger, particularly for those who do not have a strong background in hydraulic stability design.

The University of Texas - Austin's fracking report, "Fact-Based Regulation for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development," has added to the fracking debate by documenting details on the environmental problems actually found at sites. Most of them seem to have resulted from handling, particularly of wastewater, on site rather than from the fracking process. These accidents point to a gap in understanding on both the regulatory and fracking well operator level to understand and utilize containment technologies. A general synopsis of state-by-state liner regulations is found in Table 10a of the draft report (p. 109). Regulations include compacted clay, mention of a generic synthetic liner, specificity of thickness (e.g., 30-mil, 60-mil), specificity of liner type (LLDPE, HDPE, etc.), and so forth.

GSE Lining Technology, LLC, GSE -0.42% the leading global manufacturer and provider of geosynthetic lining products and services, announced today the launch of its rebranded identity as GSE Environmental. Following its recent listing to the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 10, this rebrand reflects the company's transition from a multi-regional company to a truly global organization.